My kids consider Thanksgiving to be the beginning of the holiday season. Lessons at home gradually begin to take a backseat, Christmas and New Year are right around the corner and there’s so much to do at home (apart from studies, that is) – baking cookies and pies, crafting and painting, playing virtual games, doing up the house and the like. But this year, I’ve decided to let them actually know what Thanksgiving is all about, apart from just long grocery store lines and deliciously stuffed turkey.

Here are some interesting ways kids can learn about Thanksgiving, all the while enjoying themselves.

Nothing beats a handmade greeting card or a simple craft, when it comes to gifting near and dear ones (especially grandparents). The hand-print turkey my son sent to them last year still occupies pride of place in their kitchen. I recently came across an idea the other day while reading an article online which seems ideal to replace last year’s gift; we’ll make a simple leaf turkey using my little tyke’s preserved leaves which will be perfect to adorn his grandparents’ kitchen walls! My son has a thick hard-bound notebook which he uses to dry and press leaves of all shapes and sizes – he loves to see how they change in color as the days and weeks go by. It’s as simple as this: A big brown circle of cardboard for the body of the turkey, with a smaller brown circle glued on to its center to mark the head on which two eyes are marked with black marker and a small leaf glued on for the beak. The relatively larger sized leaves can just be glued on to the back of the bigger circle to make the feathers, a handwritten Thanksgiving message on the back and the leaf turkey is ready to be put up!

Reading Thanksgiving-themed books togetherPre-bedtime story reading sessions are a part and parcel of our daily routine. For the coming fortnight, I’ve picked out some books for the kids which will teach them about Thanksgiving. Give Thanks to the Lord by New York Times bestselling author Karma Wilson is right at the top of my list, thanks to these lines which tell what the book is all about: ‘The table makes a lovely sight. The food is good, it tastes just right. I savor every single bite.’ Then there is another one that goes by the name of How Many Days to America? A Thanksgiving Story which I’m sure my daughter will enjoy. It narrates the tale of a group of pilgrims who leave everything behind and set sail to look for freedom in America.

Our Thanksgiving dinner menu is fixed for every year – turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce, amongst other equally delectable dishes. This year, we’ve decided to take up a new activity – the kids and I will be baking a large batch of chocolate chip cookies together at home. Then it is up to the kids to wrap each of them in plastic wrap, complete with colorful eyes and other fancy decorations as they may deem fit and we’ll then make a trip to the local food collecting charity to deliver the cookies. The charity in question makes sure it reaches less privileged kids, especially on festive occasions like these. As a family, we’ve collectively decided to make this a new annual family Thanksgiving tradition, to be followed year after year!

After all, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for!